Commission reports unequal cultural access

February 15, 2015

The Warwick Commission’s final report, Enriching Britain: Culture, Creativity and Growth, was launched today and is available to download in various formats. Further evidence and research resources from the Commission’s year-long investigation are also available, along with initial responses from the cultural and creative sector.

The key message from this report is that the government and the cultural and creative industries need to take a united and coherent approach that guarantees equal access for everyone to a rich cultural education and the opportunity to live a creative life. There are barriers and inequalities in Britain today that prevent this from being a universal human right. This is bad for business and bad for society.

Vikki Heywood CBE, Chairman of the Warwick Commission on the Future of Cultural Value

The Commission’s Report is a blueprint for the continued success of arts and culture in Britain. It’s written for everyone – right across our industry and in every walk of life – and I join with its authors in calling for all of those who have a part to play to give themselves permission to believe in a better future for the arts. Its conclusions will help us all deliver that vision.

Tony Hall, Director General, BBC

The report is the result of a one-year investigation undertaken by a diverse group of cultural leaders, supported by academics from the University of Warwick. The report argues that the Cultural and Creative Industries are one entity, an ecosystem, which is becoming increasingly important to British life, the British economy, and Britain’s place in the world. It calls for joined-up policy making and a national plan for the sector that maximises cultural, economic and social return. The Commission’s analysis throws down a sharp challenge to all those who value how culture enriches people’s lives and makes a range of recommendations as to how we can ensure everyone has access to a rich cultural education and the opportunity to live a creative life.”

Join the debate: #enrichinggb

Extract taken from The university of Warwick, find further commentary in the Telegraph.